7 Arrested Dreamers on Hunger Strike Call for a Clean Dream Act

This past weekend, on Dec. 14, seven courageous Dreamers and one ally were arrested fighting for a clean Dream Act. Refusing to give their names to the police, they remained in jail and risked deportation, nonetheless demanding action from Congress.

The hashtag #nodreamnodeal trended all weekend long as news broke of the seven Dreamers who were arrested following a sit-in at the Capitol, at the offices of Sen. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, and Rep. Carolos Curbelo, a pro-immigrant Republican. The eight activists went on hunger strike during their time in jail and vowed to continue until Schumer and other representatives win enough votes in the Congress to force a vote on a clean DREAM Act.

Amongst the Dreamers arrested is Erika Andiola, former press secretary for Bernie Sanders and a DACA recipient, who tweeted about the group’s refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. “If you are reading this, I am still in police custody,” she began her tweet, and continued to explain that they are demanding a “clean #DreamAct” and refuse to “cooperate and remain in jail at risk of deportation.”

As a result of her tweet that also called for solidarity, vigils sprung up all across America in support of the Dreamers and others being affected by this legislation. An email from Presente Action, the largest national Latinx online organization for social justice, said “this is the moment to stand firmly with undocumented immigrants” who are “making a deep sacrifice.”

My name is Rabea Ali and I am a woman who is just trying to conquer the world and sleep eight hours every day. I am a business student at Manhattan College who also tackles issues of social justice and inequalities on campus and in New York City. I was born and raised in Brooklyn but now reside in Rockland County. In my free time (just kidding there never is any the world has got JUST a few things that need tackling every minute), I enjoy photography and writing poetry.